The aim of this study was to develop age and sex specific reference values for waist circumference (WC) based on a sample of 2015 primary school children (i.e. 979 boys and 1036 girls aged 9 12 years) who were randomly selected from 19 primary schools in Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria. Waist and hip circumferences were measured wi th a flexible anthropometric tape according to the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Mean WC was higher in girls than in boys, and these differences were statistically signi ficant from age 10 onwards. Similarly, hip circumference was significantly higher (p<0.05) in girls than in boys at all ages. Whereas waist and hip circumferences increased with age in both sexes, the increase was relatively greater for hip circumference. Generally, waist related percentiles values increased wi th age in boys and girls, but girls had higher values than boys in most of the age specific percentiles. WC showed significantly higher (p <0.0001) values in girls than in boys at ages 10 12 years, and this increased with age in both categories. The reference data obtained in this study can be used to identify children with high risk of developing obesity related disorders and form the basis for future research studies.

The aim of this study was to assess the anthropometric and body composition profiles of Nigerian school children. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 1036 girls and 979 boys aged 9-12 years. Anthropometric measurements, including body mass, stature, triceps, subscapular and medial calf skinfold thickness, as well as waist and hip circumferences were measured on the children. Body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio (STR) were also calculated. Sexual dimorphism that appears to be related to differential changes in body composition in the older children was observed. Findings showed that the Nigerian children have a low level of adiposity whether assessed by BMI, skinfold or percent body fat, compared to their peers in developed countries. The health implications of the findings were discussed.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

No description available.

xiii, 193 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (M.D.S. 1973) from the Dept. of Oral Biology, University of Adelaide

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Medicine, Division of Cancer Sciences and Molecular Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Science, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

Thesis (M. S.)--Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. / Reeder, Kevin, Committee Chair ; Medina, Joyce, Committee Member ; Gentry, T. Russell, Committee Member. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Harvard University, 1977. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 253-266).

Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität Berlin, 1980.